1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for dispensing essentially cylindrical objects from a reservoir containing a supply of essentially cylindrical objects and, more particularly, to apparatus for dispensing and transporting drills, one at a time, from a hopper containing a plurality of drills to a final predetermined location.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the prior art to store a quantity of cylindrical objects, such as drills, in a reservoir or hopper and to feed or dispense such drills, one at a time, as for inspection, for repair, or for further use. Such feeding must be effected by apparatus which functions reliably each and every time, requires little or no operator involvement, always presents the drill to the same fixed position or location, and costs a minimum to fabricate as well as to operate.
A wide variety of devices of such a nature have been developed and utilized in the past in an effort to reliably, conveniently, accurately, and economically feed stored drills. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,854 to Hedel discloses apparatus for sorting stones which are non-cylindrical objects. The Hedel apparatus has a supply hopper and a vertically moving lift-rod for selecting a single non-cylindrical stone from a plurality of stones in the conical storage hopper. The vertically moving lift-rod raises a single stone above the hopper and into the field of view of optical inspection means. A vacuum tube at right angles to the sample lift rod can draw the sample stone into one or the other of a pair of pathways for further processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,765 to Tonus shows a supply hopper having a sloping conical base and a vertically reciprocating lift-tube to select an individual, non-cylindrical, seed or group of seeds from the hopper and raise the seed or seeds into position whereby additional apparatus may select and withdraw the seed or seeds from the reciprocating lift-tube.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,963 to Bucci et al and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,216 to Gasparini, reciprocable supply hoppers store elongated tubular objects, cigarettes and toothpicks, respectively. The Hoppers have sloping bottom floors and a vertically moving partition which holds the objects in a surface depression on top of the partition. Downward motion of the hopper and its contents effectively positions one of the tubular items above all the other stored tubular objects in a location where it may be grasped for transfer to another location.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,964,840 to Saylor et al relates to feeding flat feed stock. The parts to be fed are initially stacked in the hopper tube and then released downwardly by gravity into a stack of parts.
Takeuchi et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,980, disclose a hopper for storing elongated tubular objects which are first loaded in a predetermined orientation and then fed, one at a time, from a slot in the lowermost potion of the hopper by means of a fluid pressure cylinder which lifts the tubular objects vertically beyond the limit of a detent.
Additionally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,928 to Tucker et al, there is shown a tool storage location or rack cooperating with a complex, computer controlled robot arm which transports the tools between the storage rack and a work station.
Three additional U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,012,818 to Dornblueth et al; 4,302,144 to Hallquist; and 4,520,551 to Imhoff; all show transfer mechanisms for selecting tools such as drills from a storage magazine to a work station. All of the transfer mechanisms utilize some sort of complex, computer controlled, rectilinear movement in at least two axes.
As illustrated by the great number of prior patents, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to solve the problem of feeding cylindrical objects, one at a time, from a hopper containing a plurality of cylindrical objects. None of these patents, however, discloses or suggests the present inventive combination of elements as disclosed herein for reliably, conveniently, accurately and economically feeding drills. The present invention achieves its purposes, objectives, and advantages over the prior art through a new, useful, and unobvious combination of elements, with a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reduction of cost for construction and operation, and through the utilization of only readily available materials and conventional components.
These purposes, objects and advantages should be construed as merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the present invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other purposes, objects and advantages as well as a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and detailed description describing the preferred embodiments of the invention in addition to the scope of the invention as defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.